Fate Another
by Legends Storyteller
Summary: In an other timeline, the Holy Grail War was not set to take place in Fuyuki. Instead, it appears in the most important cities of the world. Once again, the war will occure, this time in the French city of Paris. Come, and see the fate of an other war for the Holy Grail!
1. Chapter I: The Calm Before the Storm

Fate/Another

_Someone once said: «Give a man a fish and you'll feed him for __one__ day. Teach him how to fish and you'll feed him for his entire life»._

_Such wise words...and yet giving something to a man isn't always as wise as it looks._

_What about: Protect a man once and he will live another day. Give him the power to do so and… the other men won't live another day!_

_That's what it is all about: war. Wherever you go, whenever you go, it's all you'll see. _

_If you survive._

Chapter 1: The Calm Before the Storm

Part 1:

"Ah, dammit."

Someone sighted.

It was a huge airport filled with so much people than no one could differenciate them. There were all kinds of people: young and old, black and white, occidental and oriental. And among all these kinds of people there were all kinds of languages, all kinds of personalities, all kinds of dreams.

But all these different people were here for the same reason: tourism. After all, it was the first place everyone thought of when they heard about tourism.

That's right, they were here in the most touristic city in the world; in the city of lights!

_They were in Paris._

"Paris..."

But among all these people, there was one person who was here for a different reason. Lost in the crowd was a seventeen years old teenager with short, brassy hair. He was wearing what looked like an uniform but, if you searched in all the schools of the world, you'll never find this uniform. The reason was simple: it was the unifor of the students of the **Clock Tower of London**, the academy for magis. And this boy was himself a magi. But, as suggested by its name, the academy was in London. So why was he here?

But for now:

"Rhaaa! Dammit! Why is there so many people here?! I can't find my way!"

He was talking in English. Of course he knew a bit of French but he didn't lived here long enough to keep a complexe discussion. He was lost in this sea of humans and there was no way he could escape it. He didn't have anything with him except one large and heavy suitcase. He had so much trouble to make it pass the metal detectors of the airports. And now he had to make it pass this wall of flesh.

But as he thought he was gonna die here, someone caught his shoulder. The boy turned his head and saw a tall middle-aged man with short, black, curly hair. This man stood out for some reason, as if he emitated a special aura. The boy actualy knew this man, and this one talked to him.

"Follow me, Leo."

Part 2:

A car was driving along the streets of Paris. This car was driven by Leo's uncle who picked him up at the airport. Leo was looking outside by the window of the car.

"(Even in the streets filled up with so many people.)" He thought.

"So," His uncle tried to find a topic. "what do you think of Paris, Leo?"

"Mmh? It's big and grey. And there's a lot of pigeons. I didn't imagine it like that."

His uncle laughted at his reply.

"Well! That way you won't miss New York too much!"

That's right, Leo lived in England in order to go to the Clock Tower, but he was actually american. It was also true that it was his first time coming in France. The only reason he knew a bit of French was that her cousin sometimes came to see him in America.

"But you know, this city is an old one compared to your homeland. It gives it its own charm."

"Mm." Leo nodded. "By the way, how is Maria doing?"

His uncle immediatly lost his smile. Maria was his daughter and Leo's cousin. The uncle thought for a bit and replied.

"I'll explain you later. What you need right now is to focus on your mission."

Yes. The reason Leo was here, the reason he carried this big suitcase and the reason he was so gloomy and his uncle so uneasy. This reason was on Leo's right hand: The **Command Spells**. It was the symbol he had been chosen by the Grail to summon a servant and fight along with them.

And thus he came here in France to represent his family as Leonidas Atlas. The Atlas family was devided in two branches: one in America and one in France.

"We're arrived."

Leo raised his head to watch: The circular building with at least three floors was covered in what looked like mirrors. It may look peaceful the way it was but it was actually more dangerous than a minefield with a slippery to anyone hostile.

Leo was worried though.

"Will you guys be alright if someone attacks this place?"

"Just who the hell do you think I am?" The uncle grinned. "I will protect those here until my last breath, or my name isn't Michael Atlas anymore!"

Leo chuckled. His uncle didn't change at all since the last time he saw him.

"So?" Michael brought the suitcase out of the case. "You should go inside. It will soon be time."

Part 3:

The inside of the building was actually pretty empty. The floors were used by the Michael's and his associated's families.

The most important was the cave: the workshop was the most important place to magis. It was where they performed their rituals. But this time they had prepared something special and vital for the Holy Grail War. Yes, it was here on the floor: the magic circle to summon the **Servants**.

A few persons, mainly men, were waiting around it. But as soon they saw Michael and Leo approach, they decided to go. After all, what would follow didn't really concerned them.

"Come here, Leo." Michael had brought the suitcase near the circle. "So this is it?" He said as he looked inside it.

"It is: _the Atlas family's catalyst_."

Inside the suitcase was the remainings of an armor part -most likely the chestplate- which was mostly rusting out. To an amateur like Leo, it was a simple piece of metal; but to an expert, it once was a first-rank armor which would have belonged to a rich noble.

The Atlas family had this relic since a few generation and kept it warm until they had their opportunity totake part in this ritual that was the Holy Grail War.

But this piece of armor represented even more to Leo: his glory, his crusade and maybe his death!

"Anyway" Leo took the catalyst in the middle of the circle." Now step back, uncle. It's my job from now on."

Leo concentrated. And as he did so he made his prana flow in direction of the catalyst. Suddenly, the relic somehow did "explode". In fact, it was a prana explosion. But it didn't necessarily mean that he failed.

In the smoke, a great figure could be discerned: it was a tall man in his early thirties with black hair and a short warrior ponytail. He was wearing a full knight armor -which was a great work even in Leo's eyes- and had a sheathed sword at his belt.

"Servant **Rider**. _Are you my Master_?"

Leo was way too astonished to answer the yet simple question. Rider seemingly realized it because he cleared his throat to repeat:

"Servant Rider. Are you my Master?"

"Err...yes! Yes I am!" Leo managed to regain composure "So you are Rider, huh? Just to be sure, you are really-"

"_Yes, I am Gauvain, __K__night of the Round Table._"

_End of Chapter 1


	2. Chapter II: Game Setting

Chapter II: Game Setting

Part 1:

In some dark place, a man about sixty was painting something on the ground with only light of a lantern. He had light brown, mid-long hair and was wearing a grey and red waistcoat along with a front-open black jacket.

What he was drawing on the ground was actually a magic circle, the same thet Leo used to summon his servant. When he had finished, the man left the light ofthe lantern and came back with something in his hand: _a rock_.

His catalyst was a rock. It was a simple rock in itself, it wasn't some kind of special mineral. A simple rock. But what was important was where the rock came from, or more exactly _from which structure._

The man went to the center of the circle to put the catalyst and went back outside.

He concentrated like Leo did but no explosion occured this time, merely a flash of light.

When he lowered the arm with which he protected his eyes, the man looked at the person in the middle of the magic circle.

It was a man that looked a little younger than him with short, curly, dark brown hair and beard. He was wearing a white toga and a dark red chlamys. His face looked somewhat serene despite the wrinkles that made him look exhausted. It was easy to guess that he was a greek heroic spirit.

«Servant **Caster**. Are you my Master?»

«Yes, my name is Charles Zannivic. And you, Caster, may I know your name? Though it seems pretty obvious to me.» The man spoke nonchantly to his servant.

«Indeed. My name is Daedalus, the architect who made the blueprints of the famous maze.»

Charles smiled: it was a success! The rock he used as a catalyst was a fragment of the labyrinth of the migthy king of Crete, the king Minos!

«Perfect! With you at my side, I shall win this preposterous war and got my wish granted by the Grail!»

Caster frowned when hearing his Master's words.

«You seem very confident, Master. Why would I, an architect, do better in a war than a hero broken to battlefilds?»

«You see, I am someone who rely on cunning rather than brute force.»

«In that case, wouldn't a servant like Assassin fit better?»

«No: Assassin-class heroic spirits are nothing more than, well, assassins! I don't need the ruses of a sewer rat, but rather those of a genius like you, Caster.»

Caster muttered to himself:

«I am myself nothing more than an assassin.»

«Mmh? Is something wrong?»

«Master, did you choose a place to be our base?»

«Well, I'm actually using a hotel room. I prefered to isolate myself to summon you, so I came here.»

«Then you can already return the keys: we're gonna set our base elsewhere.»

«?»

«_Underground._»

Part 2:

«Rider!»

In the Atlas' «house», Leo was calling his Servant.

«Rider, where are you?!»

«I am here, Leo.»

The voice came from behind him. Leo jumped of surprise.

«Wha- How did you do that?»

«Do what?»

«Where were you?»

Rider chuckled.

«You're one strange magus. You didn't knew that Servants could turn into spiritual form?»

Leo remembered. Of course, as a magus, he knew that. But for him, someone didn't disapear like that. He blushed.

«O-Of course I knew! But you are allowed to take a physical shape here you know.»

«If you insist.»

«Anyway you can take back your spiritual form: we're leaving.»

«To go where?»

«To introduce myself to the mediator of this war. We're going at a church.»

«No Leo, this isn't a church.» His uncle entered Leo's room. «It's a cathedrale.»

In the 4th borough of Paris, on an island on the Seine, was a cathedrale. The most famous cathedrale of Paris!

Notre-Dame-de-Paris.

It was where the mediator of the Holy Grail War was living.

«(Oh man, this place is creepy.)» Leo thought as he entered the cathedrale. (This door with a lot of people engraved, how was it already? «The Door of Last Judgement»? Boy, you talk about a scary name! I wonder who would live here.»

Leo and Michael walked to the altar. A slender shape was making a large shadow on the ground with the light coming through the main stained glasses. Yes, someone was here, but not the kind of person Leo expected.

On the altar was a woman about thirty-four with lime green, hair cut in bob. She was wearing a strange, black and yellow coat along with a skirt of the same color. Around her neck was a necklace with a crucifix.

«(I was expecting some kind of old man with a cassock.)» Leo asked to his uncle «who is she?»

«Why don't you ask her directly?»

«Oh? If it isn't Michael. If you're here I guess that this boy...»

The woman seemed to know Leo's uncle, but she had the same cold gaze.

«You're right, this boy is the representative of the Atlas family in the war.»

«Hello, I guess? My name is Leonidas Atlas. I'm the Master of Rider.»

« So your complete name is Leonidas, huh? Michael always calls you Leo when he talk about you.»

Leo blushed upon hearing those words.

«T-That's my nickname. Leonidas is a little ridiculous for a name so everyone call me Leo.»

«I see… Oh, but where are my manners?» She held out her hand. «My name is Orianna Levent, and as your uncle probably told you, I am the mediator of this Holy Grail War.»

After shaking hand, Orianna asked him:

«May I see your Servant?»

A soon as she asked, Rider took a physical form. When seeing him, Orianna whistled in admiration.

«You managed to get a good Servant, I see.»

«You can tell?»

«I'm not a Master, so I can't see his stats but it's obviously a good heroic spirit.»

She turned her gaze toward Michael.

«Now, it seems that the last Servants were summoned. I declare the beginning of this Holy Grail War.»

Orianna escorted them to the gatedoor. As they were getting in the car, Leo felt that his Servant was anxious.

«What's the matter, Rider?»

«Back at when we were at Notre-Dame, I felt something strange. I felt an hostile presence, but it wasn't Lady Levent. Yet, it was inside the cathedrale.»

«You're probably worrying for nothing Rider.» Michael said calmly «It's been awhile since I met Orianna and she's not the kind of person that let dangerous people live in her cathedrale.»

«...I hope you're right, Sir Michael.»

Part 3:

In Notre-Dame, Orianna was staring into space. Suddenly, a smooth laughing resonated inside the cathedrale. It wasn't coming from her but from the stairs in a dark corner. Slow steps could be heard, drawing closer Orianna.

«How does it feel to see the nephew of your old friend going to war?» Said an honeyed voice.

Orianna didn't even turn to face her interlocutor. A man with well capped, dark brown hair hair wearing a suit emerged from the shadow.

«… Now that night is falling, you better go and hunt your opponents down. Isn't it, Alexander Lendrick?»

«Ha ha ha! Come on, don't take off all the fun from that war! Jokes aside, I'll just gather informations for now.»

«You sure seem confident.»

«It's normal, after all. I don't have to complain about my Servant. Right, Assassin?

A shadow appeared right behind the Alexander. It was a tall man (?) all wrapped up in dark clothes, covering all of his face except his eyes. It was a shinobi's outfit.

«...»

«Anyway, as long as you keep your words.»

«Ha ha ha! Come on, would I lie to you?»

The man stepped back and return into the darkness of the cathedrale.

«Yes» Orianna whispered «This will be the last time».

_End of Chapter 2


	3. Chapter III: Mad Racing Night

Chapter III: Mad Racing Night

Part 1:

The car was on the way home. The sky was getting darker and street lights were lit. The sounds of the traffic and the smell from the exhaust pipes were entering by the Michael's open window. The latter seemed to be daydreaming with a worried look on his face as he was watching the road.

At this moment, Leo remembered something important.

«Uncle?»

«Mh? What is it?»

«Where's Maria?»

Michael turned his head and looked right into Leo's eyes. At this moment, his look was so pathetic that Leo thought it was someone else. His uncle turned back his head and made a long sight.

«With all this Holy Grail stuff I didn't want to worry you but...» He paused «_Maria_ _disap__p__eared for a week __now_...»

«What?!»

«She went to her school but never came back. And impossible to reach her by phone. According to her classmates she was at school the whole day and nothing seemed off. So something happened to her when she returned.» Michael has a weak voice and sounded close to tears.

Of course, for a doting father like him, it was a tough moment. As for Leo, he didn't knew what to say. Of course he was worried about her but… Maria had always be the kind of person that could do anything on her own. So for her to disappear like that, it just seemed unrealistic.

«But,» Michael took the floor «I'm sure of one thing.»

«...What is it?»

«_It has something to do with this war._»

«?!»

«Of course I may be wrong. But Maria is a talented magi so there shouldn't be any problem dealing with normal opponents. Which means that the person who attacked her -if she's been attacked- was a magi at least as good as her. But why would a magi attack her? The only link I can see is the Holy Grail war, since you're taking part in it.»

«And you thought it was better not to tell me?!» Leo was dismayed. «Or… do you think it's my fault?»

Leo was under shock. Maria had always been a big sister to him, someone who helped him when he was in trouble, someone with who he had shared important moments.

«What? Of course not! I'm not that kind of person! It's just that… I'm still under the shock.»

They both remained silent. Even though he understood his uncle, Leo couldn't accept that he decided to not tell him about the disappearance of his cousin.

«Leo.» Michael took a serious tone. «You need to stay focused on the war. The fights will start this night probably.»

Leo undertood. More than changing the conversation flow, his uncle was testing his nerves.

«And I'll be there for the party.»

Part 2:

Leo was in the guest room, sat on his bed. He hadn't been talking for an hour since they came back. The lights were turned off so that the scenery was kind of ghostly.

Leo's face was expressionless and he didn't move a bit since he got here.

Rider was seriously worried now. Not only about his Master's well-being but also about if this Master would be able to take on such a war. After all, a day ago he wasn't much more than a normal boy. Rider didn't speak either out of respect for him and the loss he was feeling. Though he didn't even saw Maria but it seemed that her and Leo were rather related.

He attempted an approach.

«You know, Leo-»

«Ahhh, dammit» His master interrupted him with a weak voice. «See that, Rider? Fights didn't even started that I already have problems.»

Leo stood up and walked to the large window. The moonlight was outlining his shape in the dreary darkness of the room.

«I tried to be confident in front of Michael but I'm actually quit down right now.» Actually, the cold moonlight made him look like a ghost. «What am I even doing here to begin with?»

Rider was alarmed by that rhetoric question.

«Don't you have a reason for fighting? A wish that only the Holy Grail can grant?»

Leo remained silent for a moment, as if hesitating. It wasn't a good sign either.

«Reaching the Root?» He finally opened his mouth. «Yeah, that's what my family would be expecting from me.»

«(So that's what he is? A mere teenager who carry his family's dream? No, who has this dream forced on him?)»

«Did you say something?»

«You really have no personal wish?»

«A wish… What I wish.» He remained silent again, then talked with a sad tone «I wish Maria would still be there.»

The two of them stopped talking. A minute passed. Then two. Three. Rider finally spoke:

«...It will soon be eleven o'clock. Night has fallen for good now.»

«But the streetlights make it meaningless. And there's so much people outside… How are we sensed to fight if thre's so much witnesses?»

«I was thinking of passing by the roofs of the buildings. That way, I can look for an opponent and then bring them to a more proper place».

«Then,» Leo went to the door. «Let's go.»

On the roof of Michael's house, Rider and Leo were looking at the sky. Of course stars weren't visible because of the streetlights but some white points could still be seen. Because of the streetlights, the street downthere had a strange ambiance offered by a orange and black scenery. The wind was blowing gently in this hot summer night and was kind of refreshing.

Rider lowered his gaze to look at Leo. It seemed that the latter was still thinking about Rider's question.

«… You're not forced to come, you know. The Master can observe his Servant's fight from a far.»

«No… I will come. _I need to come_. If I don't see it from my own eyes I'll probably never understand. That I'm in a war. That I might lose my life.»

His gaze looked somewhat more determined. Rider smiled. This boy wasn't weak. He just needed a reason to fight. He was right in a way, nobody should fight without a reason.

«If you insist, then...» Rider put two fingers in his mouth and whistled.

«?»

As Leo wondered the meaning of that, he heard a noise far in the night. More exactly it was hoofbeats. Suddenly, as if it popped out of nowhere, a huge thoroughbreed horse hammered the roof of the bulding while neighing to meet Rider!

«Behold, Leo! This is my loyal mount wich followed me in numerous battles! This is the Noble Phantasme wich owe my seat in the Rider-class: **Gwyn Calet: The Fiery Steed**!»

Leo contemplated the knight on his horse with the lights from the streets giving his armor a golden shine. He couldn't speake in front of the splendor of the mighty knight.

«Now, let me tell you, Leonidas Atlas. If you want to be able to keep up with me, you'll need to have a dream! A dream strong enough to allow you to defeat any opponent! Like us Knights of the Round Table who pursued the quest of the Holy Grail and th ideal of chievalry!»

Rider drew closer of Leo and caught him with his hand to place him at the rear of the seat. He turned back and looked at Leo with a benevolent look.

«And don't worry: we will rescue Lady Maria no matter what! After all, am I not Gauvain?»

That's right, Gauvain was known as the ladies' knight. It was even said that it was what made him fail in his quest for the Holy Grail!

«If you're ready to follow me, then...» Rider cracked the reins. Immediatly, the horse rushed on the rooftops of Paris. «Let us go!».

Part 3:

*****Cataclop* *Cataclop*

Hoofbeats were resounding in the night. Horse neighing could be heard coming from the sky as the passers-by were raising their head in surprise. A black boy around sixteen with short, black, wavy hair stopped walking to think. He sighted and muttured:

«Come on now. This isn't a festival or anything. Do you really want to ruin my night?»

On Rider's horse, Leo was doing his best to adjust his hips' movement to those of the mount. He had never done riding until now and, to be honest, he couldn't trust the animal he should mount.

Nevertheless, Rider's skills and steed were incredible! They could ride even in an uneven or a sloping roof without decelarating and the horse showed no signs of fatigue. His Servant wasn't called Rider for nothing.

«You really are amazing, Rider!»

Rider laughed.

«I'm glad you appreciate! How do you feel?!»

«Ready to do anything! I feel unstoppable!»

Yes, even if Leo wasn't faithful when it came to riding, the feeling of moving freely at high speed was lending an incredible excitement!

But, gradully, the two of them could heard strange noises. These were… _hoofbeats?_

Yes, hoofbeats could be heard coming not from Gwyn Calet but from below, in the streets. It was weird that, given thespeed at wich they were riding, they could heard a noises from a mainstreet so distinctly.

Suddenly, Rider turned direction roughly to get aways from the edge of the roof. In the same time Leo felt a sharp pain at his left shoulder. At the very same moment Rider moved from the border, a ray of light coming from below had struck him, probably originally aiming

for his head.

At the same time he resumed in his head what happened, he noticed that the hoofbeats from ealier could now be heard coming from behind. He comfirmed it by looking behind them: someone -most likely a Servant- riding a horse was pursuing them.

«How can it be?!» Leo asked.

«The Riding Skill is not reserved to the Rider-class! The others knight-class like Saber can have it to!»

The unkown opponent was gaining ground gradually. At this rate they'd be caught up soon.

Rider strengthened his grip on the reins.

«Interesting. So you want to challenge me in riding? Very well, I'll show you the extent of your arrogance.» He muttured to himself.

After he said that, he snapped the reins to accelerate. Even if he trusted him, Leo couldn't help but think its a bad idea: the obstacles such as the chimneys or the higher bulding could only be dodged at a hair distance and any impact would send them -him actually; it probably wasn't enough to kill a Servant- six feet under.

Leo took a look behind them. The other servant was still here, not near but still here.

He had an idea:

«Rider! Let him cath us up!»

«What are you saying?!»

«I only need you to hurt their horse! If you can do that then I think I can get rid of them!»

In front of Leo's confidence, Rider decided to trust him.

«Let's greet them, then!»

Rider decelerated so harshly that the roof tiles were sent flying. In no time, their opponent was next to them but, because of the speed and of the night, he couldn't discern their face properly.

As Leo asked him, Rider drew his sword out of its sheath and swiftly swang it in the direction of the horse's side.

The other Servant seemingly understood what he wanted to do and rolled away a little to the side. Rider managed nonetheless to make a shallow but long wound to his opponent's mount.

«I did as you told me! What now?!»

«Leave the rest to me!»

Leo concentrated. He concentrated on the horse, on its wound. He concentrated on the pain it was feeling while ignoring the pain he was feeling himself. And, all of sudden-

«_Vrais illusion-_

_Haïe illusion-_

_Douloureuse illusion-»_

Suddenly, the opponent's horse reared up and rushed into the void. Yet, a shadow -probably the Servant- jumped from it and landed in front of them. Rider stoped Gwyn Calet and dismounted.

«What was that kind of magecraft?» He asked.

«Nothing more than illusion. I made the horse feel like the pain on its flank had spread throughout its body. You can think of it like some kind of hypnosis.»

The person in front of them was an asian middle-aged man with a blue samurai armor. The most noteable feature of his outfit was the staghorn on his helmet. In his hand, he was holding a long spear with a long, decorated metal blade. It was probably what he misunddrstood for a ray of light.

The samurai put on a smiley face and opened his mouth:

«I see you have some nerves! Then I, _Rans__ā_¹, shall be your opponent!»

_End of Chapter 3

¹ Here the word is said with the kanjis for Lancer


	4. Chapter IV: No Valor

Chapter IV: No Valors

Part 1:

At several dozen of meters from the grounds, on the roof of a building, two warriors from different places and eras were ready to cross swords. Though the roof itself wasn't very luminous, the colorful lights from the city all around it made the surrounding so bright it look like some kind of isolated square of darkness.

Rider's horse hadn't disapeared and was staying near Leo in case. Rider was standing, holding his sword with both hands, in front of Lancer, an asian middle-aged man with a blue samurai armor and and a long spear in his hand.

While Rider was focused and serious as anyone should in this situation, Lancer in the other hand seemed excited and had a wide smile on his face. He looked just like a kid about to start a game.

«Then, I guess I'd better get started with it.» Said the overjoyed Lancer while holding his spear with both hand and pointing it at Rider's face.

The tension rised in the air now that the two were looking each other in the eyes. Rider took a step forward and, the moment after, the fight had started.

The sword and the spear were clashing with so much strength that Leo could feel the impacts from where he was standing.

«Not bad, not bad!» Lancer sounded more excited than he looked as he was exchanging blows with Rider «Entertain me more, _R__aid__ā_¹!»

«...» Rider was keeping silence.

Lancer took a few steps backwards and swiftly pointed his spear at Rider's face. This move was even quickier than the precedents but, instead of avoiding it, Rider efficiently put his blade on the side of the spear and deflected it from a few inches of his face. Now, Lancer's guard was open!

But, when Rider struck his sword down, Lancer nimbly bent back and avoided it before doing a backflip to put some distance between him and Rider.

«Not bad! But you should know that the _Rans__ā_¹-class is the one with the best agility!»

Lancer came back at close-range and kept exchanging blows with his opponent. Rider was losing ground bit by bit but didn't seem overwelmed as he calmly countered Lancer's attack.

«Hey, _Raid__ā_! Shouldn't you be mounting your horse?! You're starting to annoy me!»

«For God's sake! You are quite the chatterbox, warrior from the East. Or should I call you by your real name?»

Lancer's gaze alarmed and he quickly got away from Rider.

«You already understood?»

«The horns on your helmet are good hints, Ieyasu Tokugawa's general!»

«In that case-» Lancer held his spear tightly as a huge smile came back on his face «-shall I show you my Noble Phantasm?!»

(Tch! Not good!) Rider thought.

Leo was just behind him so he couldn't avoid it. However-

«It is not necessary, Lancer.» A voice spoke out in the night.

Suddenly, several gunshots rang from a building next to their. Leo didn't had the time to understand what was going on that the huge shadow known as Rider intervened and countered. Leo managed to regain his composure and looked at the newcomer.

It was a black teenager with wavy, black hair wearing what looked like a bartender suit. In his hands were two steamy handguns. He talked to them.

«_Guten Abend_, Rider and Rider's Master. I am Lancer's Master, Ewald Eberhart. Nice to meet ya.»

«_Masut__ā_¹!» Lancer quickly met his Master.

«We're off, Lancer. I'm done.»

Leo took a step forward.

«So you're running off? You don't want to finish this now?»

Ewald Eberhart didn't answer. His face didn't show any emotion at all.

«It seems you've never been on a battlefield, kid.» He answered.

He slowly took out a small object from his back. It was… _a remote control!_

«Shouldn't you be running off as well?»

«!»

«!»

A loud explosion resounded in the city.

Part 2:

The Sun was starting to raise, still hidden by the large buildings. Far off you could see smoke overwelmingly rising from an other road. In this one everything was perfectly calm, mainly because of the lack of pedestrians. Someone, though, was walking down the street.

He was Ewald Eberhart. His clothes were partially burned and his arm was even bleeding.

_Don't ever do that again, __Masutā! _In his spiritual form, Lancer was yelling at Ewald.

_What were you thinking, making it explode while we were so near?! If it was only me, but you were here as well! _

«Come on, Lancer.» Ewald's voice was almost toneless «I don't fear putting myself in danger a little.»

_It wasn't a little! Most of warriors don't fear death, but please take care of yourself!_

«Lancer...» Ewald paused to think «It isn't that I don't fear death, but rather...»

«...»

«That's a feeling I forgot a while ago, along with many others.»

_Ah, what a pity!_ Lancer sighted. _You need feelings, __as well as fear,__ to enjoy life at its fullest._

«If you enjoyed your life that much, why are you here now?»

_Let's say I just want to enjoy it a little more._ Lancer paused. _But you, __Masutā, __why are you here?_

«I guess it's pure coincidence. I doubt the Holy Grail would choose someone with such a selfish wish.»

_Mh? A wish has to be selfish to be strong enough. In the end, what kind of dream isn't selfish? What is your?_

«… Being able to enjoy life at its fullest, like you would say.»

He looked at his pocket watch.

«It doesn't seem damaged. Oh, I almost forgot. I have to go buy some food.»

He went to the nearest supermarket.

Part 3:

In the sewers of Paris, a man wrapped up in black clothes was lurking frm the dark. He was Assassin. He was observing something unusual: in front of him would probably have been an emergency exit or some kind of storage room. But instead, the wall around the door was completely white as if made of marble and instead of a door, there was a huge entrance framed by two white columns. In front of the columns were two Greek-style big bronze statues representing two Athenian(?) warriors.

Something was sure: it was a Servant's shelter, most likely Caster's.

Assassin didn't know what would await him inside. But it wasn't the biggest problem. Looking inside the anachronic entrance, _a Servant was here._

It was an asian man in his late thirties wearing an expansive-looking, black kimono. He had a three-day beard and a samurai ponytail. He had two traditional samurai weapons, the _katana_ and the _wakizashi_, but what he had in his hand was a _bokken_, a wooden sword.

Assassin was himself a Japaese Heroic Spirit so he knew that he shouldn't underestimate him, above all if he had been chosen as a Heroic Spirit.

(What to do?) Assassin calmly thought. But the answer was clear: he was an assassin whose only goal was to serve his master no matter what. He was a shinobi.

He tightly held the two _shaken _(or _shuriken_) in his hand and calmly throwed them at the samurai's head.

The latter instantly turned back and deviated them both with his bokken! And strangely enough, _he_ _threw his bokken in Assassin's direction!_

Taken by surprise, Assassin had no choice but to jump on the ground to avoid the powerfully threw weapon.

What surprised him wasn't the fact that he threw his bokken at him. This kind of technic was basic for a shinobi like Assassin. The problem was that _he knew where Assassin was!_

Presence Concealement was a basic skill of the Assassin-class Servants and Assassin was a proffessional at hiding.

(Did he throw it where the shaken came from?)

If that was the case, Assassin had definitively met a strong opponent. The precision with wich the samurai attacked Assassin was worth praising in this darkness.

«Good evening. Seeing your get-up and the way you attacked me, you must be Assassin. Allow me to present myself: I am Saber, your opponent.» Saber talked calmly and even politely bowed.

«...»

Assassin didn't answer back. He pulled out a grab-reaper as if it popped out of nowhere. Saber unsheathed his katana, wich he held with only one hand. The two of them stood motionless, waiting for the other to make a movement.

But neither had the opportunity to: somethings attacked them. And these something were… _the bronze statues!_

A large bronze sword pounced on Assassin from above, but he had no problem avoiding it and getting away from the fight. He observed Saber

The latter waited for his metallic opponent to attack him. The bronze statue swang its sword vertically with enough strength to crush a car, but Saber casually made a step forward and got right in front of the statue. With a quick slash, he cut down the arm of his opponent. Even with only one arm left, the bronze soldier didn't retreat and try to crush him with its shield.

Saber jumped back to avoid the blow and got stuck between the two doorkeepers.

Assassin took advantage of the situation to get away fromthis place. He reported to his master through telepathy.

_I see. So Caster is a golem maker._

_I don't think it's that simple, Master._

_What do you mean?_

_These were simple statues. When Saber cut off its arm there wasn't any mechanism. Just bronze._

_Moving statues? _Alexander Lendrick paused to think. _Good job, Assassin. Come back now. The Sun is rising in the sky._

_As you wish, Master._

In his office, Alexander smiled. He had some interesting enemies.

_End of Chapter 4

¹ Lancer uses the kanjis for Rider (_Raidā_), Lancer (_Ransā_) and Master (_Masutā_).


	5. Chapter V: Recoil

**Chapter V: ****Recoil.**

Part 1:

_Fear..._

_A great pain..._

_A burn..._

_An astounding blow…_

_Someone shouting his name..._

Suddenly, he woke up. His eyes opened on the darkness of the room. Somehow, these darkness gave a feeling of serenity. It was this feeling that everything had just been a bad dream. It was this restful obscurity which bathed with the lights of the moon and the streetlights. The quietness in itself was relaxing, a feeling of alleviation after bearing an obnoxious noise for too long.

It was definitely a sweet ambiance.

Or so should it have been. As for himself, he had worked up a good sweet in his sleep and the panic filling his head didn't allow him to think clearly. His heavy breathings gradually slowed their pace as he was looking in the distance in direction of the ceiling.

When he tried to sit on his bed, a great pain came from his back and his left arm. No, actually, it had always been there but he just noticed it.

But why did it hurt? What had happened?

«Oh? You woke up, Leo?»

When he heard that voice, Leo's memories of last night violently came back at him. The chase, the fight with Lancer, Lancer's Master and…

«What happened?» Leo's weak voice leaked out of his mouth.

«You don't remember?» His uncle was by his side. «You're not awake enough.»

After hearing that, Leo felt a traumatizing shock in the shape of a bucket of cold water striking his face and soaking his bed even more.

«Bleurghbleuarg!»

He quickly stood up by coughing as a second cold and sneaky attack remembered him it was a ruthless world he lived in.

«Gh! Stop this, dammit! You want to kill me?!»

«Ah? You seem in better condition now. Mmh, but maybe that a third one-»

«Stop! Please stop! I'm awake now!»

Leo sat on the edge of the bed and looked at his uncle putting the third bucket of water aside.

«Why is there so many buckets in my room?»

«They were in the closet right there. We used to use this room as a supply room before you moved here. We had to make some space but we left some material.»

Michael slowly stood up and looked at Leo. He had a grim look on his face and his voice sounded somewhat tense.

«From what Rider told me, you ran across quite the troublemaker. This explosion makes the front page in all the newspapers. Everyone thinks its a terrorist attack.»

«The explosion…!»

Leo remembered.

«That bastard, he- Arrgh!» Leo suddenly got up but fell back on the bed because of the pain.

«Hey, calm down! Do you think you're Jesus or what? You're covered in wounds!»

When checking his body, Leo saw it wasn't understatement. His whole chest was wrapped up in bandages and if it wasn't for his drowsiness he would be rolling on the ground for the pain coming from his left arm.

«It's a miracle that your arm is just burnt and that there're pratically no intern damages. You know, people usually die of being caught in an explosion!»

«...How did I survive?»

«It's thank to my steed.»

Rider had entered the room with a new set of bandages in his hand. He wasn't wearing his armor but rather a grey office attire, which obviously was Michael's clothes.

«Ah, Rider.» Michael acknowledged the Servant with a nod. «How are these clothes?»

«I perfectly fit in, Sir Michael.»

Rider put the set in his hand on the bed and helped Leo to get up. The latter took a few shaky steps in the room and went to the closet where he put his clothes. He chose a black pants along with a green sweater. After painfully putting them on, he asked to Rider:

«You said it was thanks to your horse?»

«Indeed. It didn't manage to get away soon enough to keep you from all harm, but it is still a Rider-class Noble Phantasms.»

«Hey, [to keep you from all harm]? Don't treat me like a princess, Rider, or i'll use a Command Seal to make you wear make-up!» He replied while dramatically pointing out his finger his Servant.

Yet, the joke didn't had the desired effect of warming up the mood. Actully, it looked like it was the inverse: even though he was bad at making jokes, Leo doubted being able to raise the tension in a room. Since he woke up he had the feeling that his uncle was in a terrible mood. That and the mournfulness of Rider's look told him that he was walking on a minefield. He had to avoid any subject apt to make a mine explode!

«Well, anyway, thank you. I guess your horse would have taken me away if the battle had taken a bad turn.»

A light suddely appeared in Rider's gaze and Leo hoped that he had make the right choice. But instead this alarmed look remembered him why he hated minefields. _Because there was more than one min__e__ to be aware of! _

Michal's probably had a tension wire for a while because he immediatly flared up:

«It had, dammit! It had! Nobody could have expected this sick fuck to make the entire building explode, but don't act like you escaped unscated!» He massaged his temples. «I dont care about what my brother thinks. I already lost my daugther to this war, it's out of question to lose my nephew!»

It was Leo's turn to flare up:

«Stop talking about Maria as if she was dead!»

It had struck him to see him recently, but Michael definitely considered his daughter as dead. To Leo, who wished to see her back from the bottom of his heart, it had become hard to hear.

«Do you even understand the situation?! This is a war Leo!»

Michael's face was visibly turning red as he shouted those last words. Fortunately, Rider's firm and grave voice smothered their fire. 

«The two of you calm down. Sir Michael, please, don't be carried away by your ire.»

Michal's face worryingly turned from red to pallid as he took a deep breath and sighted. He slowly walked to the old armchair resting in the corner of the room. He sprawled in it while covering his face with his hand.

His voice when he spoke was mid-way between shaken and worned out. 

«This is a war, Leo.» He repeated «People died when this building crumbled down. Your body was almost tored apart in this explosion. There's six people out there who are willing to kill each other in order to get the Grail. And Maria… vanished. I don't even know where she is or if she's even alive. Shit. Why do you always need to suffer to realize those things?»

Michael managed to pull himself together a little somehow. He sat more correctly in the armchair and joined his hands together.

«I know my brother… your father very well, Leo. He isn't the kind of person who would cheer up or comfort his son because he's his son. If I rember right he becam like that little before obtaining the family's crest and all the duties that came with. Magus' society isn't very welcoming or forgiving, and if she didn't insisted to learn magecraft I'd probably tried to keep Maria away from all these bullshits. Unlike my brother I'd rather live a happy live with my family than… Anyway, I guess you had it hard with him back then.»

Leo had a grim look on his face and he was clenching his unwrapped fist. His father wasn't his favorite topic and his uncle knew it very well. Michael sighted again.

«When you met with Maria, you wasn't the talkative boy you're today. Now that I think about it I thought my brother had shrinked when I saw you for the first time. But with time, you really did change. She had a positive influence on you; she was the kindness you never had before. I don't think I'm wrong when I say she's a big sister to you. The little boy who was so austere and serious slowly opened his heart and I eventually came to consider you as a son.» He paused «But Maria isn't there anymore, and now I only have you, Leo. But this mark on your hand is just a promise of death.»

Leo could feel his right hand getting heavier. He knew just how dangerous the situation was. It hasn't been a day since he arrived in Paris that he already almost died! But that's how things were. Wether it involves a bunch of people or an entire country, a war was a war. People would raise up and fight in order to win.

But nobody would fight by pleasure. No hero enjoyed slaugthering their enemies even as they beg for their mercy. Even so, soldiers decided to fight in order to protect something they cherished.

But it wasn't Leo's case. This mark merely showed up one day as if telling him: «You're a soldier now. _Win or die by trying, __sucker!_». The answer to that dilemma was obvious-

«You have to win this war.» Michael's tone was now as firm as Rider's «It's the second night already but leaving this place now is of course out of the question. You couldn't even bear a ride. So for now we need to use our brain and back off. What we need is to have someone in less to worry about for the time being, and in the same someone to take advantage of.»

«So you want that I-»

«Yes: _we have to make an ally of one of the other Masters._»

Part 2:

**Somewhere in a richly decorated house, after the first night:**

All lights were turned of. No a noise could be heard inside. The moonlight illuminating by the window showed a room covered here and there by cobwebs, making feel like nobody actually lived here for decades. That and all the old furnitures like portraits, a wooden coat rack or a tarnished luster made the perfect ambiance for a ghost story.

The total lack of movements inside this room made it feel even more gloomy.

No, it's false actually. There was something moving on the ground: a bird -a swallow to be precize- pecking bread crumbs. Now it could make the place looked even more abandoned, if it wasn't for a detail: _who gave it those bread crumbs?_

So motionless she'd look like a dead corpse, a girl clearly passed her twenties was sitting cross-legs on an old dusty sofa. In the milk-light of moon her skin was incredibly pale, yet beautiful. Her face hidden in the darkness of the house, she was looking at the little bird in front of her.

It wasn't some random swallow that so-happened to enter the closed room to eat crumbs on the floor. This swallow had seen two horsemen racing on Paris' rooftops. It had seen two warriors set foot to face each other in a deadly fight. It had seen a huge explosion. It had also seen two Servants fighting moving statues in the sewers. It had heard a conversation in Notre-Dame de Paris.

«Everything went well up to now. It had been a funny night.» The ghostly beauty whispered in French as if she only wanted the bird to hear her, or as if she didn't want to wake up someone sleeping. «They all started to fight against each other. The only ones left are Caster who didn't went out his den, and Archer who has yet to appear.» She then looked at her left hand. «It really is beautiful when my skin is bathed in moonlight. This blood red color definitely is beautiful. _These Command Spells._»

She yawn loudly and stretched with a moan. She got up and her tall figure got more visible as her blond hair beautifully shined like gold in the light. She turned her gaze onto a long table on wich something rested. _On wich someone rested._

«I guess it's about time we get started to. I wouldn't like people think that I'm lazy. What about you...»

She caressed the cheek of the girl sleeping (?) on the long table.

«_… Mari__aaa__?_»

Part 3:

Morning sun was rising peacefully and flooded the room with a sweet and warm light. Leo was sitting on the armchair his uncle previously sprawled in, looking at this sky slowly filling with bright colors. He had stayed awoken all night but that wasn't the reason he was tired. He had talked all night with uncle Michael about the next move to make.

They had decided to make an alliance with an other Master but it was easier said than done. The only other Master he knew was Lancer's, Ewald… Eberhart, was it?

Anyway, he prefered not to team up with someone like him. He would just try to blow him off with the other opponents. And something felt terribly off about him back then. Probably this toneless voice as he just tried to shoot Leo and was about to make a building explode.

Leo really wondered what kind of wish he could have.

Soldiers would only fight if they had a reason to do so. Creeps that only enjoyed murdering lots of people on the battlefield only exited in fictions nowadays. And he sure as hell didn't live in a fiction.

Leo didn't knew what reason would be legitimate to kill people, because people die if they are killed. Was there really something worth killing for?

(A reason…!) Leo turned in direction of the bed. His Servant was sitting there. «Rider. Can I ask you something?»

«What is it?»

«When we were on the roof, you told me I had to have a dream to pursue in life. But what about you? Why did you come back to life for?»

He didn't wondered until now, but what reason could Rider, no, the knight Gauvain have to fight in the Holy Grail War? It seemed like the latter wasn't sure what to answer because he had a thoughtful look.

«I guess that as a night of the Round Table my objective would be the Holy Grail in itself, but… Leo, do you know how I'm dead?»

Leo nodded. He had studied the legends about Gauvain and it included his death. When Lancelot saved Guenievre of the pyre after her aldutery, he killed Gauvain's brothers, who were also Knights of the Round Table. Gauvain decided to revange them and fought against Lancelot. But it was the latter who won and Gauvain died. The legend said that before dying, Gauvain apologized to Lancelot for his hatred and even forgave him for the death of his brothers!

«I don't regret dying, nor do I want Lancelot to pay for those he killed. It would be meaningless now and unworthy of a knight.»

«Then what is it that made you arm again?»

«… I'm not sure. Maybe that I regret that the last moment I shared with my friend was a battle to the death with the sole purpose of taking revanche.»

«But you forgave him in the end, didn't you? The legend says that he mourned your death for two days.»

«… That's right. It is just the regret of a dead. But this last battle I fought left a bitter taste.»

Rider got up and joined Leo at the window. He beheld with him the slightly pink and blue sky.

«And you, did you decide what was your aim.»

«Up 'til now, I didn't realize how much my relatives cared about me… and how much harmed them. Maria's disappearance obviously has something to do with the fact I'm taking part in the Holy Grail War , and Uncle's reaction this night was due to my carelessness.»

«You are being a little too harsh with yourself.»

«I made up my mind, Rider. My objective in this war shall be-» Leo turned in direction of Rider «-to survive!»

Rider first remained poker-faced, but suddenly chuckled.

«Wh-why are you laughing? Are you mocking me?»

«I am not mocking you, Master.» He chuckled even more. «It is just that the way you said it was so...»

«D-did I look stupid?!»

Rider stopped laughing and patted Leo's head. He seemed pleased somehow.

«I am happy you made a decision. But what will you ask the Greater Grail if we win?»

«If it happens that we win, I'll ask this m*****f****** war-trigger to give my cousin back. But I'm sure she's alive, somewhere»

It was time that he stop whining and take this fight seriously.

_End of Chapter 5.

**_****Author's Note**

**Wow, five chapters already! I guess I may have rushed a little without noticing. And that's why I decided to make this note.**

**First of all, thank you very much for reading me! This is my first serie and I'm not all confident in what I'm doing. For this very reason, I'd like you to tell me what you think of it until now. Is my writting style okay? Do you spot any problem? Or do you even have advice? I really would like to know your opinion.**

**Also, I'd like to apologize for only making a note in the fifth chapter. I was still working on an other serie project very important to me and I just wrote four chapter without a word for you.**

**Well, this fifth chapter concludes some kind of introduction arc. Most of the characters were shown except for a few. As for the Servants, the only ones you didn't get to see yet are Berzerkers and Archer. I'm still not sure about the Heroic Spirit I chose for the latter.**

**I only noticed now that there's already a Servant version of Gauvain in Fate/Extra but I don't see the problem since there's also two different Vlad III in Fate/Extra and Fate/Apocrypha.**

**Finally, until now I only made pretty short chapters. I may try to make them longer but they will not come out as often. Do you have any opinion on this?**

**If you readed this note 'till the end, thank you again! I'll wait for feedbacks before the posting next chapter.**

**~Legend Storyteller~**


	6. Chapter VI: Gamble Party

Chapter VI: Gamble Party

**Paris 15th district, during the seconde night.**

*pant* *pant*

A boy was running in the night with all its might. It's sharp breathings were in rythm with his footstep. The surronding were quiet, for once. It gave a feeling of soothing when compared to the din and the mess of the city in the daylight.

*pant* *pant*

But he couldn't enjoy this temporary peace. He had to run right now. He wasn't startled. Fear meant nothing to him.

*pant* *pant*

He took a look behind him. Nobody was following him. Regrettably, it meant nothing to him either. He knew who was threatening him, but he didn't saw them.

«Dammit *pant* *pant*, we need to meet back *pant* *pant*»

He kept running on the paved road until he reached a bunch of trees. Here, he stood against a tree trunk to catch his breath. Once again he looked at the direction he came from: nobody. An opressing silence was taking over the night now that he stopped running.

He took an object out of his bag. It was a marine's talky-walky.

«Hey! *pant* *pant* Do you hear me? Hey!»

No answer came out. He threw the device away.

«Tch. This idiot has been shot down.»

Suddenly, the silence was disrupted by a whistling noise coming in his direction.

«And shit.»

«Masūta!» A man popped out of nowhere with a spear in his hand and called him.

Suddely, the warrior swung his spear in the emptiness. When he did so, a big noise rang out. He had intercepted something. The something had felt on the ground a few meters away. It was a crossbow bolt.

«This Archer can definitely spot us no matter how much we run.» Ewald Eberhart sighed.

Ewald and Lancer were actually in the George Brassens Parc, in the 15th district of Paris. They came here in order to meet an opponent. And they met one. Or more precisely, someone saw them and attacked them at distance.

Crossbow bolts were pouncing on them without they could spot who was firing them since they entered the parc.

Given the weapon -a crossbow- Ewald inferred they were [facing] Archer. Actually, more than not knowing where their enemy was, the problem were the projectiles in themselves. These were homing bolts.

No matter Ewald hid or run, those bolts were pursuing him. If it wasn't for Lancer intercepting them he would look like a hedgehog right now.

«What kind of Heroic Spirit have homing shootings?» Grumbled Lancer.

«I wonder, really.» Ewald had a completely disinterested tone.

He always had this tone. The reason wasn't that he didn't care about the situation. It was most likely a lack of feelings to put in his voice. He wasn't angry that he couldn't spot Archer because he couldn't feel anger. He wasn't sad that the henchman he brought with him was dead because he couldn't feel sadness. He wasn't afraid of dying in this war because he couldn't feel fear.

That's how it was. Because of a certain experience he had when he was young, he had become unfeeling.

«Now, now. Let's see.» Ewald took out something from his pocket. It was his pocket watch.

He took a look inside: it was an old pocket watch almost rusting from outside, but the inside were in a good state. Inside of the lid, words were carved in a langage he had forgotten, but he still remembered their meaning: _Don't despair, stars are looking after you_.

He then looked at the timepiece. At each hour there was something drawn. It will soon be 10pm. Above the number, a green turtle was represented. What does that mean already?

_«The turtle is a good animal. It is a symbol of perseverance and coolness, even in the most chaotic moments! And see it's color? The green is meaning of hope, inexperiance and hazard. This turtle goes along the way though it doesn't know what awaits it. But whatever what hurdles there may be, it will gamble and try until it can overcome it.»_

Again, a language he couldn't understand anymore but ha still rembers the meaning of those words. It will soon be time for him to move on and gamble to overcome his opponent.

Looking at the pocket watch, a thin smile appeared on his face.

The reason he kept that watch no matter what was because it was the only thing that made him feel something. The only thing that he didn't want to lose.

He had a nostagic feeling everytime he looked at it.

«-suta… _Mas__ū__ta_!»

Ewald opened his eyes wide as he came back to reality.

«Crap. Here I go letting my mind wandering.»

« Masūta.»

«What is it, Lancer?»

«Bolts have stopped raining.»

He was right. Lost in his thoughts, Ewald didn't notice they haven't been attacked for a moment now. But Lancer was still hard-pressed.

«Someone is approaching, Masūta.»

«Who? Archer?»

«Nope. A human.»

Indeed, he heard footsteps coming closer. He held his handgun tightly in his hand. Suddenly, someone spoke to him in German.

«I know you're hidding here, Lancer's Master!» It was a woman's voice.

German was Ewald's usual langage. Actually, he spoke in German with Lancer without thinking about it. He didn't expect to hear it from an other Master.

«I guess you are Archer's Master.»

«Indeed»

«So, what do you want? Shouldn't you keep pelting me?»

«That's an attractive option. But I came here to make you an offer.»

«… I'm listening.»

«Let's become allies!»

Ewald thought for a few seconds. Having an ally on the battlefield wasn't a bad idea but… He couldn't feel friendship nor team spirit. He didn't especially care about having an ally. Plus having someone who can shoot you down in your back isn't the most comfortable feeling. If he had feelings.

On the other hand, he was a bit cornered. He could shoot Archer's Master but her Servant will take the opportunity to kill him. Even with Lancer by his side, a point blank shooting would most likely reach him. With that in mind, the number of solutions here dropped drastically. But…

A giant grin appeared on Ewald's face. Ah, this feeling of tenseness! This smell of danger!

This watch was so important to him. After looking at it, it felt like he could recover his feelings for a little time!

He at it looked again.

(The green turtle will gamble and try to overcome the situation, right? In that case…)

«Archer's Master.» He spoke loudly with a cheerful voice. «I thank you for cornering me. As for your offering...»

He opened his bag wide and took out all the explosives and powder he had. He put them against the bottom of the tree he was hiding behind. He stood up and looked at Lancer's face. The latter had paled when he understood what Ewald had in mind.

Ewald only kept with him two handguns and something else that he held precautiously in his hand. It was a grenade. He took a deep breath and resumed his sentence.

«As for your offering… y_ou can suck my dust!_»

He started running. As he did, he unpined the grenade and threw it at the highly dangerous heap at the bottom of the tree.

«Lancer!»

«Masūta, I hate you!»

Lancer swiftly grabbed his Master and runned as far as he could. Behind them, they felt an incredible blow and heat with a bunch of hot color.

Ewald's hear hurt him but he it looked like someone was shouting at him, covered by the sound of the explosion.

«And what now, Masūta?!» Lancer yelled.

«Let's see. There should be a construction in this area. Once inside, these damn bolts should be useless.»

-(a few minutes later)-

«Grrr! He's gonna pay for this! I'll stick stakes in his limbs and watch him beg for his life!»

In the parc, a woman with short red hair was stomping on the ground with anger. She was Elena Bujart. She was also Archer's Master.

It's been a while Lancer and his Master got away but all she did was raging and grumbling.

A few meters away from her anger, Archer was sitting on the ground and sighing.

He was a middle-aged man with black hair, mustache and beard. He was wearing a white shirt with a dark green coat along with white tights and brown leather boots.

In one hand he was holding his crossbow and with the other he was reloading a bolt.

«What should we do, Master? Are we looking after them?»

Elena turned her gaze in his direction and gave him a glower. Even after swearing for five minutes she still seemed to be in eruption.

«And how could you let them flee in the first place?! A famous hero like you shouldn't have any problem with that!»

«First of all, Master» Archer sighed. «I'm only that famous in Sweden. The rest of the world has many heros way stronger than me. Secondly I considered your safety more important than shooting at them.»

Archer was right. _William Tell was extremely famous only in his country, Sweden, in the same way Vlad III was in Romania._

But if he wasn't a strong Heroic Spirit, he maked up this problem by an efficient Noble Phantasm: **Die Prüfung des Apfels: The Cruel Test**.

In his legend, William Tell was such a good crossbowman that he shot an apple placed on the head of his son from a hundred feets away! This feat was very famous, even by those who didn't really knew him. As such, his Noble Phantasm allow his bolts to reach what he considers as the apple. Whatever the obstacles, they would get around it to touch it.

This way, he could easily kill the Masters without having to face the Servants.

«!»

«!»

The two of them noticed an unexpected guest: thirty meters away, someone was looking at them. They could hardly tell because of the night but it was an asian woman with long, black hair and wearing a pink yukata with blue dragons on it.

«Who is she?» Archer took his hunting knif off his belt.

«She's a Servant, Archer. I can see her stat. But…» Elena had a calm voice despite the apparition of an opponent.

«Is something wrong?»

«… She's weak.»

«?» Archer was surprise by his Master's statement. «She's weak?»

«Her stats suck, even for a low-rank Servant. All I see is a frail woman.»

Archer didn't understand who would summon such a servant, but having an enemy weaker than him was a relief.

«(Best know her Servant-class before attacking though) Good evening. Allow me to present myself. I am Archer. Who are you?» Archer asked the newcomer.

«Oh come on, Archer. Do you seriously think she's gonna-»

«a§%diz»

«?»

«?!»

The woman unexpectingly answered. She spoke out loudly but…

«A%ǂѬOP&Rs$kµ¤K§p!» She was unintellgible.

Elena frowned.

«Ha...»

She laughed out loud.

«Hahahahahahahahahahaha!»

She continued to shake until she topped chuckling. Shen then took a deep breath.

«So this is Berzerker?! Even while being under the Berzerker-class she's this weak?!»

Her smile suddenly disapeared from her face. She turned her head in Archer's direction.

«Kill her! She's the worst Servant I've ever seen. I'm sure her Master will be relieved we dispose of her.»

Archer nodded. He put back his knife on his belt and calmly aimed at Berzerker who didn't move an inch since they noticed her.

He shot. He didn't even need to use Die Prüfung des Apfels. According to Elena, this Servant wasn't worth worrying. As expected, the bolt dug into the woman's celiac plexus with no effort.

She was done for.

Or so should it have been.

«aSk£ Hp¬ƢArgh…»

The woman didn't die. Her face showed her anger more than her pain and she took a step in their direction.

She opened her mouth to shout. Surprisingly, it was understandable. Not because she expressed herself clearly, but because it was nothing more than a cry of rage.

«GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!»

«What the-»

«GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!»

Her shouts were covering all the other sounds in the area. The explosion from before sounded like a sweat music compared to it.

Slowly, the shouts turned into roars.

(What the fuck is going on?!) Elena stared at the scene and paled (What kind of Heroic Spirit is thaaaat?!).

-(somewhere else)-

(It stopped)

Ewald was listening attentively. The cries had stopped. After he left Archer and his Master, something near their ancient location made an incredible noise. But then, the silence came back.

«I wonder what it was. I'm having a bad feeling about this.» Lancer had stopped carrying Ewald and had took back his spiritual form.

Indeed, they expected Archer's Master to try pursuing, but nobody followed them. It was even more disturbing after the roars they heard a minute ago.

«… Anyway, if they don't pursue us. I don't see any reason to stay here nor try to hide.»

Ewald was somewhat disapointed. He would have prefered to keep playing cat and mouse with Archer but in the end, they just left them alone. Him and Lancer came to an old little building to protect from Archer's bolts.

The building somehow looked like a chapel with it's small tower, but it actually was an old belfry. Before being a parc, this place used to be slaughterhouse. That's why there were statues of bulls, donkeys and butchers around.

Ewald sighed.

«Well, since there's nothing left to do, let's call it a day. Or a [night].»

He walked in direction of the exit when he suddenly stopped. He turned back to look at the befray's entrance, and his smile came back on his face. This time, it was a bitter smile.

«Well, looks like I will have my fun, in the end.» He said in an ironical tone.

On the befray's doorstep, someone was waiting for them. Someone wearing a red kimono and holding a wooden sword in his hand.

Ewald and Lancer slowly walked to the building. There, the man politely bowed and took a few steps forward.

«Good evening to you. Given this spear in your hand, I assume you are Lancer.»

«Heh! You guess right, samurai. It please me to fight someone from the same country as me. And you're _Seib__ā¹_, am I right?»

«Indeed. I shall be your opponent here.»

Saber squared off as Lancer grabbed his spear with both hands and a smirk on his face. The tension raised but Ewald wasn't even fazed.

«Yeah, yeah. Let the two of you fight each other to death.» He said in his usual toneless voice. «As for myself, I'll go have a little talk with your Master inside.»

Saber blocked the way with his wooden sword.

«Do you really think I'll let you go in-»

«Don't let your guard down, moron.» Ewald didn't even looked at him.

«!»

As soon as Saber had blocked Ewald's way, Lancer pounced on him like a tawny.

«He's right, Seibā. It's not very nice to ignore me after defying me.» Lancer had a giant grin on his face.

Saber had blocked the lance with his bokken. Now Ewald could go in without having the Servants interfering.

«So, so. Where are you, Saber's-!»

He was interupted by a swift movement on his left. He bend down immediatly but still felt the blade of a sword almost grazing the top of his head.

The attack was followed by a kick.

Ewald raised his arms to counter but still was propelled at the other side of the room. He instantly stood up, pointed his handguns in the direction of the aggressor and shot several times. He heard the footsteps receding. He followed them until an other room.

(Dammit, I can't see a thing! Where's the light switch?)

But he didn't even have to search for it: the lights suddenly turned on. He heard a noise coming from behind!

He quickly turned back and shot. The enemy avoided it but stepped back.

Ewald could finally could see what his opponent looked like.

It was a girl. An asian girl with long, light brown hair. She was wearing a white sleaveless top and a black pants. In her hands she was tightly holding a katana with a 80-centimeters long blade.

The most frightening about her was her determined gaze and her fearless face while she was at a clear disadvantage. Well, as for now, Ewald didn't feel any fear either.

A second passed as if it was ten. It wasn't rare to have the impression that the time had frozen during an intense fight. Especially when you waited for your opponent to move first.

But it didn't last. The girl dashed once again in Ewald's direction.

«Tatatatatatatatatatata!»

Lancer was attacking Saber ruthlessly with his spear but the latter always managed to block with his wooden sword -his bokken-.

He retaliated by pushing away his spear and rushing over him.

«Gh!»

Lancer immediatly took several steps backward but it wasn't enough. His opponent was too near to use his spear and he took a hard hit.

«I'm disapointed, Lancer. I expected more from you.»

«Stop teasing me Saber.» Lancer still had his grin. «I kept this as a souvenir.»

Lancer waved around something in his hand. It was a part of the bokken!

«You bastard.» Saber looked at the broken piece of wood in his hands.

«So, how about you start being serious and take your real katana off its sheath?» Lancer taunted Saber with a smirk.

«If that's what you're looking for...»

As Lancer asked, Saber unsheathed his katana, but not only. He also took out his wakizashi -his small sword-!

He held each weapon in one hand and squared off again.

Lancer was surprised. Usually, a samurai held his katana with both hand to put more strength in it, and the wakizashi wasonly used for the seppuku. No samurai would think of using both in the same time.

No samurai except one.

«I see.» Unlike before, Lancer squared off as well. He really was taking his opponent seriously now. «I'm honored to have such an opponent. The best samurai of all Japan's history.»

«So you understood. I'm honored as well to have to fight the owner of one of the Three Great Spears of Japan. Here I come, Honda Tadakatsu.»

«I'm waiting for you, Musashi Miyamoto!»

The two Servant clashed with an extreme violence. Lancer now fully used his skill as a spearman against Saber whose fluid and supple attack were trying to take Lancer off garde.

Suddenly, Lancer swung his spear vertically. Saber avoided it and stepped on it. He rushed once again on Lancer and delivered a rain of slashs.

«!»

Lancer avoided all of his attacks. Not only with his agility. He also seemed to avoid some of them without even meaning to. Saber swung his swords from both side so that he couldn't evade them.

But instead of trying to avoid, Lancer simply threw a kick at Saber to repel him.

«Gah!»

Lancer picked up his spear on the ground and faced a motionless Saber starring at him.

«Looks like you're not only nimble, Lancer.»

«Heh! Indeed, even though the Lancer-class is the one with the best Agility, it is also considered as the most unlucky one. But as for myself, my Luck-rank is quite high.»

«A lucky Lancer? And what is worth you such a bliss, Lucky-Lancer?»

«Well you see...» Lancer swiftly swung his spear and rushed over Saber. «… you need quite the luck to remain unscated from the battlefield!»

Indeed. Honda Tadakatsu was one of the best general of Ieyasu Tokugawa and he even was considered as [a samurai among samurais]. He never suffered defeat from any other samurai and didn't hagve any important wound even though he took part in more than a hundred battles, one of which is the famous battle of Sekigahara!

He was known as [The Warrior that surpasses the Death itself].

Musashi Miyamoto, on the other hand, was considered as the best samurai Japan ever knew. He beat many opponents with only a bokken and invented the Niten-Ichi-Ryu, a technic using the two swords the samurais carried with them.

His most famous duel was against Sasaki Kojiro. Misushi also took part in the battle of Sekigahara but on Toyotomi's side.

The two legendary samurais kept on clashing.

The girl dashed once again in Ewald's direction.

Ewald aimed at her and shot.

Usually, a knife or a sword had nothing to do in a gunfight, but in this cramped space her katana was actually pretty dangerous.

Like the moment after two samurai exchanged iai strikes in a historical drama, the

two of them remained motionless for a few seconds, back to back. But then they frantically turned around to face each other.

Even though, none of them tried to attack the other.

The reason was both of them had been hit by the other. The girl had tried to dodge the two bullets by squirming but her right leg had been shot. Ewald evaded the fatal attack but his right shoulder had been severely wounded, he could only use his left arm.

The two Master calculated their next movement while facing each other. Ewald prevailed because of his range but he had only one arm left and if he fucked up, he was done for.

The girl couldn't move properly due to her wounded leg, but she was near enough to hit Ewald, even with only one leg.

The tension rose as the two were about to deliver the decisive blow.

(… Now!)

Ewald rose his left arm and aim at Saber's Master who still hadn't moved. His bullet was faster than her sword.

He had won.

CLANG.

The noise of an object falling on the ground.

«What… the...»

He hadn't won.

He didn't fire.

In the small time between the moment he aimed at her and the moment he pulled the trigger, she had throw a knife at his left hand and made him drop his weapon.

She had won.

He was done for.

(No. I'll keep on gambling!)

He hadn't felt this feeling in a while, even when he was cornered by Archer. This feeling that he had nothing to lose, that it was all or nothing.

«**Lancer!**» He shouted out loud. « **By this command seal, I order you to cut this building off!**»

Saber'sMaster opened her eyes wide. Outside, an other shout could be heard.

«**Tonbo-Giri!**»

Lancer and Saber were still facing each other. Both were out of breath and they had worked up a little sweat frm their intense fight.

Then, Lancer's Master's voice rose from inside the befray.

«**Lancer! By this command seal, I order you to cut this building off!**»

Lancer immediatly understood. He had to use [it]. Usually, Servant didn't use their Noble Phantasm so that their identity isn't discovered. But Saber already knew Lancer's so there was no point in holding himself.

Lancer held his spear diagonally with the tip pointing at the ground. Saber's face stiffened but he couldn't do anything.

«**Tonbo-Giri: Dragonfly Cutter!**»

The tip of the spear started to emit a buzzing noise. No, actually it was vibrating! _The air all around the blade was virating! _

Lancer's usual grin appeared on his face.

«Once, a dragonfly that landed on the blade of my Tonbo-Giri was cut in two! Now behold, a blade so sharp that it can cut without even touch you!»

Lancer rose his spear and was about to swing it down.

«Master!» Saber, understanding what he was about to do, rushed inside the building to look for his Master.

But it was too late.

Lancer swung Tonbo-Giri diagonally and the befray was cut in two as if an invisible blade had done it!

He swung it a second time and the building crumbled down.

Ewald stood up in the middle of the rubbles.

Saber and his Master were gone. Lancer looking for waiting for him in front of the ruins.

«You could have look for me, at least.»

«Heh! I was sure you were all right, or else I would have known it.»

«Anyway.»

The sun was rising slowly in the sky, bringing the day's color to the world.

«We're good for tonight. I need to take a nap.»

The two of them left the parc.

_End of Chapter 6.

**_Author's note**

**Hello guys, thanks to those who are actually reading this note.**

**I'm actually in holidays, which explain that the chapter is out so early though I said it would come out less often.**

**Fianally, a chapter I am satisfied with. All the precedents left a little bitter taste for some reason. It might be the length.**

**About this, do you prefer chapters like this? Or would you go back to the old format. **

**I think I'm gonna keep with this one.**

**Also, I'm a little disapointed that I only got one review. By the way I thanks the one who left that review, I'm happy to have your opinion.**

**Well, I'm gonna translate this lack of comment by «It's okay, go on!». If you beg to differ, please tell it and explain why!**

**Finally, I thanks all of those who read my serie. It's thanks to you that I keep on!**

**~Lengend Storyteller.**


	7. Chapter VII: Raison D'Être

Chapter VII: Raison D'Être

Part 1

**Paris 4th district, Notre-Dame de Paris.**

In the apse of the cathedrale, a woman with a green bob wearing a black and yellow coat and a skirt of the same color was backed to the wall. Her name was Orianna Levent.

She was the actual mediator of this Holy Grail War as a representative of the Church. As such, it was her job to clean up after the fights so that no outsider noticed that something was wrong.

«Yes. Yes. Don't worry about that, our compagny's gonna choose a more apropriate place from now on. Yes. Have a good day Mrs.»

She turned off her phone and sighed. She was talking with the Mayor of Paris. Even though she cleaned up the mess in the George Brassens parc, she had to explain the destruction of an building built decades ago and the sounds of explosion.

She had come up with the explication that a scientific compagny made some experiences that turned bad. She had to go through a lot of talking and paperwork.

(Seriously, they could think of me before blowing the place off.)

She walked down the cathedrale until she got to the body. She once again noted the emptiness of the place. During the Holy Grail War, the access of the cathedrale was forbidden to the outsiders of the event.

«*sigh* It's already past noon. I wonder what kind of meal I could eat. Oh, and I didn't even get a proper breakfast.» She casually spoke of today's food as she quietly made her way to the entrance.

When she opened the gate, the sudden brightness contrasting with the darkness of Notre-Dame dazzled her and she raised her left arm to protect her eyes.

When she did, something shined on her ring finger. Once her eyes became accustomed to the daylight, she looked at the silvery ring on her finger. How long has it been? Fifteen years? Twenty years? Anyway, it didn't matter anymore now. Hanging to a unfulfillable promise was the same than refusing to wake up when having a good dream. Childish and pointless.

Even so, after waking up, some people would hope to have the same dream again but it was once again an illusion. Having the same dream again didn't mean it really was the same. The old one was lost forever and all you could do was accepting this new one and try to roll with it.

But not her. Not Orianna. She hadn't been deceived nor tricked. The other ring was still on the finger of it's owner. But it was-

«Are you gonna stay put starring blankly at me or will you welcome me properly.»

«!»

Orianna blenched. The person in front of her shrugged and scratched their head.

«You shouldn't lose yourself in your thought like that. It's gonna cost you your life someday, you know.»

«I don't have to listen to this, Alexander.»

In front of her, a man with well-capped dark brown hair wearing a full tuxedo suit showed one of those pseudo-reassuring smile that one could only see in commercials. Combined with his creepy green eyes and dark circles, he had everything to bring evil to the home.

He was Alexander Lendrick. He was Assassin's Master.

«By the way, you're late.» Orianna grumbled.

«Oh, I'm sorry. But, you see, I still have a lot of work on my own.» He still had that teasing tone of his.

«Work, huh? You don't seem that busy to me. From what I've heard you didn't participate much up 'til now.»

«Only hotheads would go all out from the beggining. I had my own business to deal with.»

«Even Berzerker made her move while you were doing God-knows-what. *irrited sigh* Come on, come in.»

She postponed her lunch to more later and led Alexander in the darkness of Notre-Dame. They didn't simply head for the body or the dephts, they instead went inside the stairs to join the seconde floor.

«But seriously.» Alexander almost always had that half-serious, half-mocking tone. Depending on the [rate] of seriousness or the [rate] of mockery, one could guess his actual state of mind. But of course it takes time to truly grasp his humor that way. As for now, there was more seriousness than mockery. «I hope you had a good reason to call me here while I'm busy with my preparations.»

«I'm just holding up my end of the deal. Before we cleaned up, it wasn't pretty. When the ground wasn't burnt, it was crushed. It was as if a giant monster was on a rampage.»

«….»

«But that's not all. Now it's about the unpretty part. Elen-»

«[Elena Bujart, Archer's Master, is dead], right?» He interrupted her with less and less mockery each time he spoke. «I already know this. Contrary to appearances, I didn't slack off. I've been informed of each events of the night by my… [associates]. What I want to know is why I'm here right now.»

«… Found highly burnt and accordingly unreconizable, Elena Bujart is indeed dead.»

«She really had to be thoughtless to die at the beggining. Anyway, that's not what I want to-»

Alexander suddenly stopped talking and climbing the stairs in the same time.

«Wait. If she was unreconizable as you say… how do you now it really was her? As far as remember you don't keep an eye directly on the fights. How do you know Berzerker had started to move?»

«I'll now turn to the most important part. Namely, the reason I called you.»

They were arrived to some kind of storage full of crates. There wasn't any window in the room so Alexander couldn't tell what was in the dephts. Before he could mention it, a voice spoken out of the shadow.

«So it's him?» It was an adult male's voice.

«Indeed.» Orianna shortly answered.

Someone suddenly stepped in the light. It was a middle-aged man with black hair, beard wearing a white shirt along with white tights and brown leather boots. He had several marks of burning on his arms.

When he saw the man, a large grin slowly appeared on Alexander's face.

«… Archer… I see, so it's him who gave you all these informations. And the reason you called me…»

«As I said, I'm just holding up my end of the deal. Now it's time for you to hold your.»

«Interesting.» Alexder let out a chuckle. «You made me save time. Now, I think I can start the second phase of the plan.»

«?»

«Now, Alexander Lendrick shall fully enjoy this war.»

This time, he frantically laughed out loud. After calming down, he headed to the stairs.

«I never thought that your grudge would be my greatest ally in this war.» His voice resonated in the stairs. «Was your loss so painful that you'd even betray your friend?»

«Shut up, Alexander. Don't forget our deal.»

«I won't. In exchange for your help in this war...»

His voice now sounded like it was coming from the dephts of earth.

«_...I'll destroy the Holy Grail._»

All alone once again in the huge cathedrale, Orianna remained motionless.

Alexander was right, it was her pain, her grudge that led her down this path. From the moment she joined the Church to the Holy Grail War, she had always acted for revanche on something she wasn't even sure existed. In a way, it was the same as searching for an old dream.

(Have I really made the right choice? Is there a right choice?)

Would Michael ever forgive her for this? Alexander was't wrong when he said she betrayed her old friend. Michael, in a way, had been a mental support to her. He had helped her in her helplessness and tried to whip away her sorrow.

Even so, she betrayed him. She accepted to help his enemy in order to eliminate his nephew and the other Masters. It really was strange she allied with someone like Alexander Lendrick.

Has it been because he was the first one who proposed his help to destroy the root of her hatred? Should she had asked Michael in the first place?

She didn't knew the answer.

She didn't want to know the answer.

She didn't want to realize that all her efforts and goal had just been foolishness all along. So she would go all the way. She would help Alexander getting the Holy Grail so that he destroy it and hope that she could finally rest her mind afterwards.

(But I don't want to live you in despair.)

Leo's death would most likely finish Michael off. He had already lost his daughter and Orianna had noticed how huge an impact it had on him.

Thus, to make sure he don't himself loses all hope, she would help him in another way. By giving him back what he already lost.

_She would find Maria Atlas._

«I've decided.» She walked outside Notre-Dame. «I'll have some chili con carne for lunch.»

Part 2

Paris was a very old city and existed since at least 53 before J.C. Actually, the first hints of dwelling date from Neolithic!

In spite of that, the actual sewers only date from the end XIXth century, when Paris was entirely renovated by Napoléon III. Before that, there weren't many sewers -less than 50 kilometers- and the hygiene was so bad there was a cholera epidemic.

Nowadays, Paris' sewers is rather modern and is an incredible network of arc-shaped galleries with tubings running across the basement of the big city.

That's how it should have looked like.

But the truth was it didn't look like that anymore. The galleries weren't arc-shaped anymore, they were rectangular. The walls and ceiling and ground were now made of bricks. The tubings had disapeared and what looked like small temples from ancient Greece could be found randomly.

Actually, those tunnels weren't even the originals. They took completely different turns and directions.

And at the center of this network was a huge room, an atelier. And in this atelier was the one who occasioned these changes.

Caster, a middle-aged man with short and curly dark brown hair and beard, was sculpting a statue. He was wearing a white toga and an amaranth chlamys. Those were typical clothes of ancient Greece's people.

His true identity was Deadalus, the most famous architect who ever lived. And the current state of Paris's underground was in fact his most famous work: **Λαβύρινθος: The Curse of the Labyrinth**.

There weren't many Noble Phantasms that could materialize a monument of that level. Most of them belonged to famous architects or the kings that ordered their construction.

As one of the oldest and most famous architect in the world, it's obvious Deadalus would posses one.

It didn't really ask any material, but most likely a [mold], network-shaped galleries, to allow its appearance. Once he had it, all Caster had to do was drawing the plans and blueprints of his brand. One of the major problem, though, was the incredible quantity of prana it required.

Fortunately for Caster, his Master was a good magus it seemed.

«How does it go, Caster?»

Charles Zannivic, his Master, was silently watching him a distance. He had been quite impressed when his Servant suggested, instead of establishing their base on the surface, to take over the underground.

He had chosen this Heroic Spirit because he prefered tactic to simple violence; but his Servant's powers went beyond what he had expected.

Considered as the ancestor of all sculptors and one of the greatest genius of Antiquity, Caster benifited of a A+ rank for **Item Construction**.

His Noble Phantasm, **Τεχνικός: The Know-How of a Genius**, was what caught Charles interest the most. According to legend, his statues looked so true that you had to chain them up so that they don't run away. It could be seen as a special kind of golem.

«I had to create some labor to help me a little but it should be done for tonight.» Caster's tone was one of an unsure person.

«Is something the matter?»

«Are you sure it is a good idea? I know you can resplenish your prana supply by using the Mana in the atmosphere, but I think you're overworking.»

«No need to worry, Caster. I will do as much as I can to win the Holy Grail. For this reason, I will do any sacrifice needed, even other people's life.»

Charles looked determined and his tone was unwavering, but Caster wasn't fooled.

«(I think you're too kind to sacrifice others. That's the difference between us.)»

Indeed, with his serene face, his wrinkles and his graying hair, Charles looked more like a doting uncle than a man ready to kill. It is to wonder why he was here. Actually, that was a good question.

«What is this goal that'd make you so determined?»

«My goal?» Charles' features hardened.

«Caster, honestly… my life is a failure.»

When he heard this, Caster stopped sculpting and turned in his Master's direction.

«A failure?»

«To you, what is a good life, Caster?»

The latter didn't respond. Everyone had their own definition of a perfect life, but it could change with time or simply shatter when you realize you might be wrong.

«Dying on the battlefield? Being a powerful magus? Reaching the Root? No.»

Charles drew near a statue of a woman with a child in her arms. It wasn't a statue made with **Τεχνικός** but a simply decorative feature. After contemplating it for a moment, Charles put his hand on the woman's, which was cuddling the head of the baby.

«I want to have a second chance. I want to try living a normal life with a wife and children; a life where I could do what I want to, and not simply filling the others' expectations.»

He turned back in Caster's direction.

«I want the Holy Grail to rejuvenate me.»

After his Master's final declaration, Caster looked at him for a moment and then sighed. He turned back to his statue and started sculpting again.

(That's why you won't be able to sacrifice anyone, Charles. You're fundamentally too kindhearted of a person. But it's fine that way-)

«And you, Caster?»

Caster raised his head.

«And me?» He asked quizzically.

«Why are you here alongside me in this war? Is it because of Talos?»

Caster remained silent and motionless. Charles had hit a where it hurts the most in Caster's -in Deadalus' heart. Talos was Deadalus' nephew; but when the latter was told his nephew had invented the saw and the compass, he felt an incredible jealousy. It oftenly was the case when someone is excellent in a field; they don't like being outmatched by someone else.

His envy led him to murder Talos by pushing him from the roof of Acropolis. But he was caught when he was burrying the body. And thus, he had to flee in Crete and the legend of the labyrinth of Deadalus started.

It took him a moment to finally decide to answer his Master's question.

«Originally, maybe. Killing my nephew is the thing that I regret the most for my entire life… and death.»

«Originally?»

«When I woke up in this era, I [saw] many people with many wish. And I wonder: is the wish of a dead more important than those of the livings?»

The two of them remained silent. Eventually, Caster decides to finish this statue. After all, he had to finish everything for tonight.

Part 3

*Sigh*

Oh, why did he have to do this. He definitely wasn't ready for that.

«What is the matter, Leo?» Rider asked.

«It's nothing. It's just… I don't want to talk with her.» Leo answered with a dejected tone.

Katsu Hadakaku, or as she told him, Hadakaku Katsu.

Leo and Rider were on the roof of a building. Strangely enough, the street was completely empty. It was even weirder at this time of the day.

(Well, with her, maybe it isn't that weird.)

There was actually someone else in the street. Below, they could see an asian girl with long light brown hair and wearing a white sleeveless top. At her hip, she was carrying a sheathed katana with a 80-centimeters-long blade.

Anyone seeing her like that would have thought she was a cosplayer.

«I seriously don't want.»

«From where do you know this lady?»

«She's from an oriental magus family. As such, she's also a student at the Clock Tower.»

«So, you two know each other?»

«You could say that. But the real matter here is… how should I address her.»

«Oh, I see.» Said Rider with a strange tone.

«What do you see?»

«You confessed to her but she repudiated you, isn't it?»

Leo almost fell off the roof.

«Wh-what?!»

«But you see, as an expert, I can tell you a lady's heart isn't easy to take.»

«Wait, hold o-»

«Back at my time, before I became a knight of the Round Table, the most important was to impress them with a feat of arm, like a joust for exemple.»

«I tell you you're wro-»

«In short, you have to give an impression of strength and manliness.»

«Oh, I give up. So, what's your plan?»

«Just follow my instructions.»

Saber's Master, Hadakaku Katsu, was simply leaning against a wall in the empty street.

The fight against Lancer and his Master last night could easily be considered a defeat. Of course she wounded both his hands, but she doubted it would really bother him for long. On the other hand, he shot her leg and forced her to retreat. If it wasn't for her determination to win this war she'd already have seppuku.

She prefered to rest for now. If someone else saw their fight, they most likely know she's hurt.

«?»

He noticed a noise growing stronger. Actually it was also growing nearer! She turned her head at the other end of the street, and what she saw left her speechless.

Some people on a horse were charging at her at full speed, cracking the aphalt on their way, while waving their hand at her and shouting something.

Wait a second.

She knew that boy on the horse.

No, it couldn't be… that Atlas idiot!?

«Hadakaku-senpaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaai.»

This moron had a wide smile on his face; no, in fact his features looked somewhat tensed, giving his smile a devilish look.

She stayed her thinking about going to bed quickly before realizing it wasn't an hallucination and noticing the night in armor behind him.

(Shit! He's a Master to!?)

«Saber!»

Saber took his physical form, took Katsu in his arm and quicly jumped on the roof of the nearest building.

«It seems like it's Rider and his Master.» Saber talked to her while running.

«This idiot! To think I would meet him here!»

«Do you know him? It must be hard in th-»

«No! It's perfect! Go back, it's about time I kick his ass!»

«You're not in good condition! And anyway.» They both looked back.

«...aiiiit fooORR MEEEEEEEEEE!»

The horse suddenly appeared in the air and landed on the same roof they did. Now they were [running] after them while destroying the rooftops of Paris.

«We can't let them get near us.» Saber had his usual calm tone but Katsu were the opposit.

«Let them get near! I'm gonna remember him what it means having me as an opponent!»

«Our opponent is Rider here!»

Saber noticed a back alley on the other side of the street, on the ground. If they went into places too small for their horse, they would most likely give up.

But Katsu held her ideas above all once again.

«I said put me down!»

«!»

She literally jumped from Saber's arms before he could get off and landed on the roof he just jumped from.

Almost having an heart attack, Saber got on the road but without his Master. He could hear the thunder of horse's hoove growing stronger and Katsu shouting something in the line of [_Come at me!_].

«Shit!»

He instantly jumped back at the roof and saw the horseman rushing over them.

(Wether she know him or not, it doesn't matter!)

He to charged in their pursuers' direction and swung his katana to slice Rider's Master. Strangely, the latter was sitting in front of his Servant rather than the opposit.

«Hah!»

«**Bertilak's Test: The Reward of Courage**!»

When Saber's sword was about to behead Rider's Master, it was suddenly stop by what seemed to be an emerald green screen.

(A protection Noble Phantasm!?)

Saber was repelled but he had managed to stop their charge. He squared off as the horse reared. He was about to attack the animal when a shout rang out.

«Everybody calm the fuck down!»

On Gwain Calet, Leo was panting hard and seemed quite upset.

«I didn't come here to fight, dammit!»

«Then you just wanted to rush over me on a horse while making a creepy face? Boy, you talk about a fetish.»

«Shut up! I didn't ask your opinion here, Miss Rhino!»

«I told you to stop calling me like that, you litlle shrimp!»

As the two continued to fight, Saber and Rider looked each other in the eyes. They looked like they were judging their opponent before a fight, but instead they were asking a silent question:

(Lovers quarrel?)

«Anyway!» Leo shouted louder sign out. «I came here with a proposal. Kats-»

«It's Hadakaku to you!»

«Fine! Hadakaku, would you-»

«-[Marry me].»

«Shut up, Rider! I said, would you ally with me?»

Silence fell upon the scene. Saber didn't know what to expect. The situation calmed somehow with the quarrel of the two Masters, but it was a serious choice. He would most likely accept his Master's decision, but the latter was unpredictable in moments like that.

«… And what make you think that I would need an ally?» Katsu sounded doubtful. Well, after such a harsh introduction it was understandable.

Even though, Leo held a quizzically look.

«A reason? Hum, I didn't think about that. Let's say I wanted to have an ally and I decided to ask you.»

«….Why me?»

«It's not like I didn't considerated any other candidate but I actually only met with Lancer's Master, and I think something's wrong with this guy.»

«…...»

She remained silent once again. Lancer's Master -the one who forced her to retreat. She still had a bad taste in her mouth after that night. She didn't knew much about him though; they didn't exchange a word and were too caught up in their fight.

But again, why would she team up him? Having an ally in a war like this was a great vantage, but it could also backfire once they'll have to fight each other. She was confident in her Servant but if it came down to a fight between Masters, she'd rather not show him her tricks. On the other hand, she didn't know his tricks either.

It wouldn't be correct to say they knew that much about each other, but they still knew each other for a few year now. Even so they didn't fight with actual thaumaturgy.

«…And what make you think I'll hold my words?» She asked.

«Oh, are you kidding me? Who is always bragging about honor at the Clock Tower?»

He had a point. They had fought enough time to know the other's personality. That way she knew he was too naive to betray her. In that case, her answer would be…

Part 4

«Masutaaa. It seems there's some movement in the 7th district.»

Lancer called out Ewald even though they weren't even ten meters away from each other. They were in one of their hideouts, an empty shed of a burnt house.

«Huh? What kind of idiot would fight in daylight? Did they blow a hose or something?» Ewald's empty voice sounded exhausted.

Indeed, after the fight last night, he didn't have the time to sleep and they even had to move their material in this garage. His shoulder was healed and he could freely move his right arm, but his left hand was still wrpped up in bandage. If it was true he was in a magus family, it was also true he wasn't that good a magi himself. He didn't receiv his family crest, and he still wondered why he had been chosen by the Grail.

«Actually, Masuta...» Lancer's voice was quite serious since his fight with Saber. It was as if he had spend to much energy to put his usual smirk. «… the streets have been quite calm recently, not to say empty. Last night, I think the din should have drawn a crowd.»

«…..» Ewald held his chin with his available hand and put an as much thoughtful expression as he could. «It seems someone has been preparing his own battlefield… In any case, we won't go out tonight. I have a bad feeling about this.»

Part 5

«I think I'm done, Master.» Caster got up painfully from his seat. He had been sitting here all day.

«Perfect! Truly perfect! We're ready for tonight. And talking about the night...»

Charles took a look at his watch. Since they were in summer, the sun woudn't set before an hour but it was already quite late.

«Well, until it's time, you can do whatever you want. Actually we could even start now.»

«Better wait for the sun to set. Your spell may be powerful but it's not absolute. Still, a spell of this wingspan. I'm impressed by your power, Master.»

«Well, I _am_ a first-class magi. But it's still thanks to your labyrinth spreading through the entire city that I could cast it with out a proper rituel. I didn't expect any less from a monument from the Age of Gods, it really is a top-rank territory!» Charles was cherful as always.

But Caster was dazed when he told him his plan after seeing **Τεχνικός**. He turned to contemplate his work: _before his eyes, and on several kilometers across the labyrith, thousands of statue warriors were ready for battle. _

Invading Paris with an army, that was Charles Zannivic's plan!

Caster appreciated the imaginativeness of his Master, but he didn't knew how the Church would react to that, from what Charles told him. This night, they were gonna put one of the greatest city in Europe in an incredible mess.

Part 6

«Contact all all the units. Tell them to get ready to move when I give the signal.»

Alexander Lendrick to was in a hurry. The obtainement of a second Servant had greatly speed up his plans.

He was actually in a huge hangar and had several group of people rushing around him. Strangely, these person looked like militaries, except the logo on their back didn't look like any of the existing governement forces'. It was a an overflowing golden cup with an arm stretching out.

It was a strange symbol, but very representative of who they were.

«Did the squads λ and θ get their orders and destinations? Fine, get ready to coordinate.»

Alexander hung up the phone and turned in direction of a group of persons wearing red mantles.

«Bring the **Mystic Codes** here, it will soon be time.»

«Yes, sir.»

He definitely was a strange magi. Creating a fighting force combining technologie to magecraft was his greatest feat, the New Edge Compagny. He was the representative of a new kind of magus, those who wish to change the statu quo of the magus society. The first step to that was _destroying the Holy Grail_.

But in order to do that, he needed power. He managed to make powerful magus join his side and provide him with Mystic Codes of all kind. He even to have the mediator of the war siding with him!

He watched at the map on the table in front of him. Before long, all will be ready.

«Now, let the real war begin.»

_End of Chapter 7

**_Autor's Note**

**Heeeeeello guys! Thank you a lot for reading me!**

**An alliance between the best knight and the best samurai, how will this go? Not an actionful chapter but I did my best to make it interesting. From now on, I think I'll do one chapter for each nights and days, in the same way than for the chapter 6; so it's the chapter for the third day! When I'll find time and motivation, I'll redo the first chapters so that they all match.**

**This chapter took a long time to come out, for several reasons: First, as I already said, I have a project of a RWBY fan serie parallel and it happens I give it more attention. Secondly, I lost a bit of determination in Fate/Another. At first it was an experience to see how I would do in a barely prepared serie. It was quite an interesting experience but don't do it at home, kids; I'll** **remember to be fully prepared from now on. Finally, one of the reason for my loss of motivation is the lack of review. Yeah, it's really is morale-shooting to be writing a serie without knowing what people think of it. And as such, I really feel like I've done something wrong.**

**For all these reason, the serie will be in pause for an undetermined period.**

**Thanks again to those who read far enough to see those words, and please comment!**

**~Legends Storyteller **


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